Hywel Wyn Owen, a renowned authority on the place-names of Wales, has succeeded in writing a readable and informative guide which brings together most of what is currently known about selected place-names in Wales. The bulk of the book is made up of a dictionary of place-names which provides both the derivation and meaning of the names and a discussion of them. This is preceded by a useful introduction which describes what the study of place-names involves and shows us how these names can reveal fascinating insights into the people, history, communities and language behind them.

This new book examines all of the available source materials, dating from the ninth century to the present, that have associated Arthur with sites in Wales. The material ranges from Medieval Latin chronicles, French romances and Welsh poetry through to the earliest printed works, antiquarian notebooks, periodicals, academic publications and finally books, written by both amateur and professional historians alike, in the modern period that have made various claims about the identity of Arthur and his kingdom. All of these sources are here placed in context, with the issues of dating and authorship discussed, and their impact and influence assessed. This book also contains a gazetteer of all the sites mentioned, including those yet to be identified, and traces their Arthurian associations back to their original source.

The Place-Names of Wales was originally published in 1998 and reissued in 2005 in the Pocket Guide series. This current updated publication adds some thirty entries, which importantly take into consideration more recent research. The entry for each place-name provides details of historical forms and dates; analyses each name into its component linguistic elements; tracks the later linguistic development of the name and the influences upon it particularly within a bilingual society; compares the name with similar names elsewhere, and interprets that meaning within the history of Wales and in the local context having regard for the landscape and changing land-use. In addition to explaining the link between place-names and language, history and landscape, the introduction includes a section on the significance of place-name study, and a short section to allow non-Welsh speakers to understand some relevant sound-changes.

This wide-ranging study takes the story of Kenneth Jackson's Language and History in Early Britain on from the 12th century to the end of the 20th century, mainly by using written and oral recordings of place-names.

This is the first thorough, authoritative study of the place-names of the entire pre-1974 Flintshire, scholarly in substance, readable in presentation, with its selection of names based on the OS Landranger 1:50,000 map. The entry for each of the 800 names presents a grid reference, documentary and oral evidence with dates, derivation and meaning, and a discussion of the significance of the name in terms of history, language, landscape and industrial associations. Additionally, comparisons are drawn with similar names in other parts of Wales and the UK, and the later linguistic development of names is charted in light of the particular influences of a bilingual society.

This scholarly and accessible dictionary, the first of its kind in Wales, deals with most of the place-names of Wales as well as prominent features of the landscape. For each name, the authors provide the evidence of historical forms and dates, identify the etymological elements, comment on the derivation, meaning and linguistic development, and explain the topographic, social or historical significance. Based on the authors' original research and that of other place-names scholars past and present, this authoritative dictionary also includes an invaluable glossary of the place-names elements.

An authoritative dictionary of the meanings and derivations of Welsh place-names. The first of its kind in Wales, this volume deals with most of the place-names of Wales as well as prominent features of the landscape. Also includes an invaluable glossary of the place-name elements. First published in November 2007.

From Abbas Combe to Zennor, this dictionary gives the meaning and origin of place names in the British Isles, tracing their development from earliest times to the present day.

Use this bestselling guide to Welsh place names to understand the meanings of the towns and villages you travel through, or read about. Buy now to enhance your enjoyment and understanding of your Welsh adventure!